Congratulations! You are the manager of your company’s emerging PMO (Project Management Office).
When you create a PMO, there are 5 simple questions you must answer. They are similar to those that a good reporter must answer when documenting a story – who, what, where, how and why? – and they are as important for the PMO manager as they are for a journalist.
What has to be done?
When must things be done?
Who must be hired to get things done?
What must I use to get things done?
How will the PMO’s place in the org chart help me get things done?
What has to be done?
The first step is to identify stakeholders as they play an integral part in shaping the PMO. The structure of the PMO depends on the myriad of organization factors. A PMO can be structured in 2 ways – one that acts as a consultant providing project managers with training, guidance and best practices and second, a centralized team which would act as a manager of the project managers to perform project portfolio management. There are pros and cons of each approach so it is very important to form a bridge between concepts and tangible results in the right direction.
When must things be done?
Once you know what is to be done, it is important for you to judge when things must be done. PMO is expected to perform tasks at various stages of the project. It is the PMO responsibility to develop and implement a standardized methodology for all projects in the domain. This fine tunes the project management procedures to help achieve organizational objectives at the highest standards. PMO acts as a focal point for all project management needs. It is their responsibility to conduct training programs. PMO acts as a home for project managers from which the project managers are loaned out to work on projects (not in case of consulting model). Project management tools are selected and deployed by the PMO taking into account the organization needs.
Who must be hired to get things done?
After you gather the organizational requirements for a PMO, its now time to create a task chart. This task chart helps map the tasks of a PMO with the skills each person needs to have for that set of roles and responsibilities. It is important for you as a manager to frame your team taking into account the various project management parameters of quality control, planning (planning for project, resource, cost & budget), risk analysis and policy making.
What must I use to get things done?
It is critical for the PMO to provide early warning signs to the management. While the management does not have time to examine individual projects, they have to be updated on the progress of all projects. An integrated report of all projects with highlights and issues plays a very important role in strategic decision making for projects. A project management tool plays a very important role for definition and communication of these metrics. While choosing the right project management tool for the organization, you must consider various factors like collaboration, resource management, project management, ease of use and help & support.
How will the PMO’s place in the org chart help me get things done?
A PMO is structured to manage projects across the organization. It is thus best to implement it on the enterprise level to ensure consistency in the management of all elements. The goal of a PMO must be aligned with the goal of the organization. It is thus best for the PMO to work with the company’s executive team.
